Paul Lynch, an author hailing from Inishowen, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award, which boasts a grand prize of €100,000. His novel, Prophet Song, is one of six books in the running for the annual award, recognized as the most financially rewarding for a work of fiction in the English language.
Prophet Song, which won the 2023 Booker Prize, is set in a dystopian Dublin, exploring a society plunged into far-right tyranny and totalitarianism. The novel has been praised for its timely reflection on the erosion of civil liberties and the rise of authoritarianism.
Lynch, a former pupil of St Patrick’s Boys’ School in Carndonagh and Carndonagh Community School, spent the first eighteen years of his life in Inishowen after his parents relocated from Limerick. At 47, Lynch has often cited his upbringing in Inishowen as a profound influence on his writing. His other works include Grace, a novel about a young girl’s struggles during the Irish Famine.
This year’s shortlist includes a diverse range of titles, with 71 books nominated by 83 libraries worldwide. A panel of five judges meticulously reviewed all the nominees before selecting the final six.
In a statement, Lynch expressed his excitement at being shortlisted for the esteemed prize: “It is of course a marvellous thing to be shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award. It is one of the major prizes in world fiction, and I particularly admire how the prize is driven by libraries around the world. We should be celebrating our libraries and the role they play in our communities.”
He added that the Dublin Literary Award has introduced him to many extraordinary writers, especially those whose works are translated into English.
The judges described Prophet Song as “beautiful and relentless,” noting that the novel’s exploration of an impending societal collapse feels both urgent and immediate. “Paul Lynch has written a novel that makes these terrible things happen on our doorstep,” they remarked. “In beautiful and relentless language, like a slow but unstoppable wave, he takes us to a shore where those who survive are at a point where it is make or break.”
The winner of the 2025 Dublin Literary Award will be announced on May 22, 2025, during the International Literature Festival Dublin. The novels shortlisted for the award are now available for borrowing from public libraries nationwide.
The complete shortlist for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award includes:
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Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Ireland)
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Not a River by Selva Almada (Argentina)
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We Are Light by Gerda Blees (Netherlands)
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The Adversary by Michael Crummey (Canada)
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James by Percival Everett (USA)
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North Woods by Daniel Mason (USA)
The €100,000 prize is sponsored by Dublin City Council, and nominations for the award are submitted by libraries and readers in major cities worldwide.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, commented on the 30th anniversary of the award: “It is heartening to see that the broad scope of the Award still persists with a shortlist that includes nominations from public libraries in Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, The Netherlands, and the United States. The 2025 winner will be chosen from an inspiring shortlist that explores themes of power, corruption, manipulation, bravery, ghosts from the past, and a re-imagining of a literary classic.”
The Dublin Literary Award is one of the most distinguished accolades in the literary world, celebrating the best in global fiction.
